The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-11-22
A Warning to Mechanics.

the Brotherhood of Carpenters and
joiners. There is undoubtedly some
truth in it, but it is always to be re-
membered, that unions are bound to
protect themselves and outsiders are
to be given no chance. The BAzoo
merely publishes it for what it is
worth and the readers can draw their
own conclusions.
Los ANGELES. CAL, Oct. q, 1887.
Of the numerous methods adopted
to boom the Pacific coast, there are
none so injurious to the wOrkingmen
as the exaggerated reports of scarcity
of labor and high wages. And vet it
is considered by the boomers" the
very best argument they can produce,
for at once it conveys the impression
to man of capital that the boom is
not ephemeral, but has firm and
lasting basis. If he has some doubts
as to the many advantages offered for
the investment of capital the article
above referred to is a "clincher." Un-
fortunately the poor dupe who sacri-
fees his little earthly possessions to
enable him to reach these shores in
quest of "steady work" and "high
wages" looks in vain for fulfilment
of these golden promises. The adver-
tisements for help which he may have
seen are from employment Agents, :"
an irresponsible set of leeches whose
living depends on an overcrOwded
market Of laborers, Every city is
full of them; they pay high rents, ad-
vertise extensively, and scarcity
of labor means ruin to their trade; for
in such a case none would be so
foolish as to pay them commission
to procure them a job. Just now
Southern California is being extern
sively advertised as the promised
land" of the poor, i'll paid, slave of Ia
Dor. In nearly all the paragraphs
going the rounds of the press there is
such misrepresentation of facts, such
barefaced falsehoods in regard to
wages and the demand for labor, that
We have taken upon ourselves to re-
flute them, and thus save hundreds OF
families from ruin. The eliminating
point was reached by a special dis
patch sent by some scoundrel in our
midst to the Boston Globe" 1t ap-
peared in that journal on the 18th of
October, and has been copied by near
ly every eastern paper. The entire
dispatch is A LIE FROM BEGIN.
MING TO END. Hundreds of let
tiers of inquiry have been received by
the postmaster of this city, and the
Trades Union secretaries have also
been deluged with missives of like
import. Already the DAMNABLE PLOT
is bearing its bitter fruit. A stream
of mechanics and laborers have pour
ed into the city whose ranks are daily
being swelled by fresh accessions.
Having expended their last dollar for
railroad fare, they rush around from
one job to another, offering to work
for anything they can get. The
scenic grandeur fails to impress them,
and they find our GLORIOUS climate"
a rather thin diet to subsist on. We,
therefore, ask the EASTERN PRESS
to aid us in arresting this hegira, and
we earnestly entreat them to publish
this warning.
| If such term be applicable to the
"beom" now surging throughout
Southern California, we can safely as
sert that it is genuine. In the appli-
cation of capital and labor to the pro-
!, duction of wealth from the soil, or in
vast improvements for future produc-
ton, in transportation and trade, the
results have been and will continue to
be vastly profitable. There really
seems to be no limit to the profitable
investment in capital, for California is
a vast storehouse which needs but
that magic "Open sesame" to yield all
the necessaries of life. But with the
capitalist must also come laDorers,
both skilled and unskilled. and when
the ratio has not been disprOportionate
the latter have been able TO maintain
themselves in tolerable comfort.
Periodically, however, and more
often at this time of the year the
market has been overcrowded, and
only small number of them have Sc
cured the great boom of all working
men ga home free and unincumber-
ed" The greater number live from
hand to mouth. Rents are enormous
ly high {; a cottage of four rooms rents
from S25 to $50 a month. Coal is SIC
a ton, butter is 40 cents, eggs 40
cents and other things in proportion.
The average of wages is about 80
cents per day more than eastern wages,
but the cost of living more than coun-
terhalsnnes Ont of doors labor can be